New Providence Council to Introduce Abandoned Vehicle Ordinance

By MARIANNE IVERS

January 25, 2017 at 11:39 PM

Content Options

NEW PROVIDENCE, NJ – The Borough Council may introduce a new abandoned vehicle ordinance as early as the next meeting on Feb. 14. The issue was first brought to the council’s attention in September, and it was discussed again at the Monday, Jan. 23 meeting.

Since September, Borough Attorney Paul Rizzo, Police Chief Anthony Buccelli, Borough Administrator Doug Marvin and Building Official Keith Lynch have done extensive research on how abandoned vehicles have been dealt with in neighboring towns and how the ordinances are enforced. “We looked at a bunch of different municipalities to come up with an ordinance that is fair,” Mayor Al Morgan said. However, the issue is complicated. The borough fears that a poorly worded ordinance will lead to expensive lawsuits.

The planned new ordinance will include a definition of what constitutes an abandoned vehicle. Councilman Jim Madden suggested that the ordinance proposal should be tweaked a little more before it will be placed on the council agenda.

In September then Councilman, now Council President Gary Kapner explained that there are 24 abandoned vehicles in the borough. However, there are not enough resources in the construction department to enforce all violations and follow the notices up with legal action. He asked how far does the council want to go in enforcing codes and would the council be willing to expand its work force to better police property maintenance issues.

New Providence is for the most part a very well maintained community; however, an abandoned vehicle can be an eyesore in the neighborhood, and negatively affect property values, Marvin stated in September.

Code violations are brought to the attention of borough officials mostly via complaints by neighbors. The borough then sends a notice and typically gives the resident 10 days to resolve the problem. The borough officials are also willing to listen to residents as they explain the reasons for violating the codes. Sometimes there is a circumstance that resolves itself within a short period of time, Marvin explained in September.

Borough resident Ray Borgersen approached the council at the Jan. 23 meeting and urged the council members to adopt a resolution to resolve the eyesore vehicle issue. In October, Borgersen had sent a letter to Morgan after bringing his complaint to the attention of the police department. He noted that code No. 253, which is applicable to abandoned vehicles, was revised in 2014. However, even the revised language was not enough to enforce the removal of the eyesore next to his property.

Borgersen explained that he has lived in his house for 35 years and has been looking at the abandoned car in the neighbor’s front yard for 25 years. “It is frustrating,” he said. In addition to the unused vehicle, the same neighbor has three other vehicles, one of which has been parked on the lawn due to the lack of adequate driveway space. “I wouldn’t mind if the vehicle had been in the backyard,” he said.

Borgersen said that if he was to put his house on the market potential buyers would walk away after seeing the mess next to his driveway.

“I understand that it is a problem. We are between a rock and a hard place.” Hopefully, we can come up with a reasonable solution, Morgan said.

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — Rutgers students are preparing horses for the upcoming Ag Field Day on the Cook Campus on April 28.

Launched in 2015, the Rutgers University Teaching Herd (RUTH) is has been comprised of four permanent and four to five foster horses each year that are used to teach students with zero to minimal horse experience the basics of horse care and showmanship.

AVON-BY-THE-SEA, NJ — In less than two days, an Avon-by-the-Sea landmark that stood for 130 years was reduced to a huge pile of rubble. The Norwood Inn no longer stands on the corner of Norwood and Second Avenues — the last of the stately hotels that once graced the streets of Avon.

As onlookers gathered around the demolition site on March 15 and March 16, an excavator clawed its ...

TRENTON, N.J. – The New Jersey Department of Agriculture has quarantined a property in Union County after a horse developed the highly infectious equine herpes myeloencephalopathy (EHM). EHM is the often deadly neurologic form of Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1) infection. No recent movement had occurred at the index property prior to this case.

CHATHAM, NJ - The Borough of Chatham Council unanimously voted in favor of a resolution it intends to send to President Donald Trump and elected officials at all levels of government urging the enactment of "common sense, multi-faceted reforms to prevent gun violence in our school communities," at its regular meeting on Monday night.

CHATHAM, NJ - While the Borough of Chatham Council unanimously approved a letter urging the enactment of gun safety measures on Monday night, the Chatham Township Committee could not come to a consensus when it met and discussed a letter written by committee member Mike Kelly, which was presented last Thursday.

Unlike the borough letter, which was originally drafted by council ...

SUMMIT, NJ - Elected and Law Enforcement officials along with volunteers are joining SAGE Eldercare this month as it participates in the 16th annual March for Meals – a month-long, nationwide partnership of local community organizations, businesses, government officials and caring individuals, who come together to ensure that homebound and ...

UNION, NJ – Students from all over Union County will be walking from Burnet Middle School to Town Hall on Saturday morning, March 24, in an anti-gun violence march.

Led by steering committee chairman Colin Sumner, the march, which has the support of Senator Joseph Cryan, Moms Demand Action, Union County Chapter, and the Union County Freeholders, is not aimed at taking away guns, but ...

BERKELEY HEIGHTS, NJ - Mount Carmel Society is hosting a Breakfast with the Easter Bunny on Sunday, March 25 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 56 River Road in Berkeley Heights with an Easter Egg Hunt at 11 a.m. (weather permitting).

The all you can eat buffet includes pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, bagels, donuts and muffins and a cash bar will serve Mimosas and Bloody ...

This past week will certainly be remembered by us all for a very, very long time. Thank you hardly seems sufficient, but it is the very least we can express in appreciation for all the incredible acts of kindness, generosity, selflessness, and volunteerism our community received this past week during and after the storm.

Thank you to all of our residents for their patience, understanding, and ...

A group of students file into a science classroom amid a nervous din of chatter, the air is electric with excitement and nervousness. This small group of approximately 30 students are a studious bunch, largely members of the sophomore class with squeaky clean administrative histories. They are currently preparing to defy authority and stand up for what they believe in, even though they had been ...

Do you have a 529 college savings plan? Have you thought about opening a 529 plan account? If the answer to either question is “yes,” you should know about two major changes that broaden the possibilities for 529 plans. They may give your family some new options. You may be able to pay K-12 tuition with 529 plan funds.

AVON-BY-THE-SEA, NJ — In less than two days, an Avon-by-the-Sea landmark that stood for 130 years was reduced to a huge pile of rubble. The Norwood Inn no longer stands on the corner of Norwood and Second Avenues — the last of the stately hotels that once graced the streets of Avon.

As onlookers gathered around the demolition site on March 15 and March 16, an excavator clawed its ...

My first admissions gig was working for a small liberal arts college with a pretty hefty price tag. Picture me at a college fair: name tag in place, pile of brochures ready to go. An eager family would walk up and we’d start a conversation. One of the first questions I’d get from parents was about cost and the moment that $50,000-plus figure left my mouth I ...

The New Providence Office of Emergency Management opened its shelter at 5:30 PM on Wednesday, March 7, 2018, their first guest being a stranded motorist. The storm left ¾ of New Providence without power. The shelter cared for over 325 people over the course of 6 days.

The Shelter provided, heat, wifi, electricity, food and a safe place to sleep. One ...